Determined to implement prohibition: CM

Repeats the charge that the dry law was lifted in 1971 when Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister.

August 04, 2016 09:00 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 02:33 am IST - CHENNAI:

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa asserted in the Assembly on Thursday that she was determined to implement prohibition in phases in Tamil Nadu even as she harped again on the fact that prohibition was first lifted in the State in 1971 when DMK president M. Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister.

“We have reduced the business hours of retail liquor shops by two hours and shut down 500 liquor shops as soon we came to power again. So, it is this Government under me which is truly concerned about prohibition,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said to the loud thumping of desks by AIADMK members.

She recalled prohibition was first lifted in 1971. Even in 2007 when several parties demanded implementation of prohibition in the Assembly, the then Chief Minister Mr. Karunanidhi had said the menace of illicit liquor couldn’t be controlled and the only way to control it was to produce quality liquor in the State.

DMK members opposed the remarks and their Deputy Floor Leader M. Duraimurugan sought a chance to speak. On being denied a chance, the DMK members staged a walkout from the House.

Earlier, when Prohibition and Excise Minister Thangamani was giving his reply, Ms. Jayalalithaa intervened to say, “The Minister said everyone knew what the DMK had said and done in the past and left it at that. The present younger generation is not aware of the complete details. So I am seeking the Minister through the Speaker to say it was Mr. Karunanidhi who lifted prohibition which was in implementation”.

When DMK members objected, Ms. Jayalalithaa said she was well within the House Rules to convey her comments to the Minister through the Speaker.

Mr. Thangamani, who resumed his speech, said neither the DMK nor Mr. Karunanidhi could talk about prohibition in the State.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.